cck - the kite that bridged two nations

7/22/2019 CCK - The Kite That Bridged Two Nations

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www.nyhumanities.org/conversations

Friendship


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Thank you for hosting aCommunity Conversation for Kids

Community Conversationsprovides an opportunity for people to come together forthoughtful discussion and dialogue about their shared values as Americanspast,present, and future. Focused on central themes in American life such as service, freedomand democracy, Community Conversationsallows New Yorkers to join in discussions that

offer an alternative to received wisdom and provide the chance to take part in a sharednational dialogue.

Celebrating the important history of the Niagara Falls region, this CommunityConversation for Kidsis built around Alexis ONeills beautiful childrens book, T h e K i teth a t B r idged T wo N a t ions . This is the story of Homan Walsh, a young man who flewhis kite across the Niagara River, and whose string became the first thread in the firstbridge across the Niagara Gorge. Homans story teaches us the value of friendship and

the ways in which cooperation can help us persevere in the face of daunting odds.

Overv iew Community Conversationsare stand-alone, text-based discussions led by a facilitatorfrom the local community. Each toolkit includes a text that tackles an important aspect ofAmerican life and encourages community dialogue.

Structure Your Community Conversationshould last between 60 and 90 minutes withoutinterruption. Discussions should be guided by a facilitator and focused on the text and thetheme.

Hold your conversation in a room where a group of 10-30 participants can hear eachother clearly. Use the tips sheets for host sites and facilitators included in this toolkit forideas about how to encourage everyone to participate in the discussion.

Faci l i tator A good facilitator is the key to making a Community Conversationsuccessful. Thefacilitator should be someone in your community who enjoys working with people, isinterested in what others have to say, and believes in the merit of conversation-basedprograms. The facilitator does notneed to be someone with an advanced degree in thehumanities, but rather someone who has some experience leading open conversationsand who is enthusiastic about learning how to facilitate. We encourage all prospectivefacilitators to attend one of the Councils free facilitation webinars* to learn more aboutbest practices for guiding successful and meaningful discussions.*Facilitators at featured sites must attend a facilitation webinar.

Inc luded inthis toolk i t : The Kite that Bridged Two Nationsby Alexis ONeillDiscussion Questions for The Kite that Bridged Two Nations

Tips for FacilitatingTips for HostingSample ScheduleParticipant EvaluationKeep the Conversation Going

page 3page 4page 5page 6page 7page 8page 9

New York Council for the Humanities | T 212.233.1131 | www.nyhumanities.org


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The Kite that Bridged Two Nations by Alexis ONeil li l lustrated by Terry Widener


This Community Conversations for Kidstoolkit focuses on the theme of friendship, between familymembers, neighbors, strangers, and nations. The text for this conversation is The Kite that BridgedTwo Nationsby Alexis ONeill and illustrated by Terry Widener, a high-quality childrens bookappropriate for 8- to 12-year-olds.

The Kite that Bridged Two Nations is available for free from the Council for any CommunityConversations for Kidshost site.

This soaring and poetic picture bookis based on the true story of Homan J.Walsh, an ordinary boy born in Irelandand raised in Niagara Falls, NY. In1848, Homan entered a kite-flyingcontest. The winners kite stringwould span Niagara Falls and bridgethe United States and Canada.Despite biting cold and strong winds

and against tremendous odds, HomanWalsh won the contest, earning him aplace in history. His success also ledto the building of the first suspensionbridge across the Falls, linking thetwo neighboring countries.

Author Alexis ONeill and illustratorTerry Widener worked closely withexperts on both sides of the Falls, and

the book includes authors note,timeline, bibliography and furtherresources.


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Discussion Questions forThe Kite that Bridged Two Nationsby Alexis ONeil li l lustrated by Terry Widener


What makes someone a good friend? What examples of friendship do you see in this book?

Would you describe the United States and Canada as friends?

Why do you think that Homan, the boy in the story, loves flying kites so much?

Why do you think that Homan named his kite Union?

How would you describe the relationship between Homan and Union? Have you ever had thatkind of relationship with something that you made or owned?

Homan says that when he was flying kites not once did I think of the bone-chilling cold. Have

you ever been so excited or focused on something that you ignored everything else around you? What kinds of challenges does Homan face while trying to fly his kite from one side of the

Niagara River to the other? Why does he keep trying?

Why do you think that Homan is so determined to fly his kite between the two countries?

What kind of help does Homan receive while he is trying to fly his kite across the river? Do youthink it would be possible for him to succeed on his own?

Why do you think that people cheer Homan on, feed him, and even give him a place to stay whilehe is trying to fly his kite between America and Canada?

Have you ever faced a problem you couldnt solve on your own? How did other people help you

solve it? Not everyone supports Homans quest to win the contest. Why do you think that Homans father

doesnt encourage him?

How does the relationship between Homan and his father change during the story? Why do youthink it changes? Do you think that Homan could have finally succeeded without his fatherssupport?

Why are both Americans and Canadians in this story so excited about the kite flying competition?

Why do you think that the bridge builders wanted to start the bridge between the United Statesand Canada with a kite string?

Why do you think that its so important to Homan that Union be the kite that wins the contest?

Do you think that Homan would feel as proud of himself when Union finally makes it across theriver if it had been easy to do?

Have you visited any of the places in this story? Is there something special about places wheretwo nations come together?


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Tips for Faci l i tat ing aCommunity Conversation for Kids

Community Conversationsare simple gatherings that encourage thoughtful, engaged dialogue using ashort reading to foster discussion. The goal is a comfortable, lively discussion free of bias andjudgment. We hope the following suggestions will help you create an inviting environment for you andyour community.

Planning for the Conversat ion Expect a healthy conversation to last between 60 and 90 minutes.

Read the text several times, paying attention to the parts that were difficult or that made you pause. These will be

the places that generate the most conversation.

Use the sample questions in this toolkit as a starting point for writing questions that will resonate with your group.

Decide how you will begin the conversation. The first few questions will set the tone for the discussion, so think

about what themes in the text you would like to explore.

Prepare about three times as many questions as you think youll cover with the group. You wont get to everything,

but extra planning will help you follow the natural progression of the conversation.

Plan a closing question or exercise that signals the end of the formal discussion, but encourages the group to keep

the conversation going at home or among friends.

Gett ing Started Arrange chairs in a circle or semi-circle so that participants can easily see one another and be heard by all. Start by establishing some basic guidelines with the group. For example, be respectful, make sure that everyone

has a turn to speak, and focus your comments on the reading.

Introduce yourself at the beginning of the session and ask each participant to do the same. Keep introductions

short.

Begin by reading the whole text aloud together. This allows everyone to have the opportunity to hear a fluent readerand invites people with lower levels of literacy to actively participate.

Plan an opening activity to help participants get comfortable: ask a discussion question and encourage participants

to share their thoughts in pairs and report back to the group.

Asking Good Quest ions Ask short, open-ended questions that dont have a right or wrong answer.

Invite the participants to interpret the text in their own ways.

Focus on places where opinions may differ (not on facts that cannot be disputed).

Look for ways to connect the subject matter to everyday life.

Encourage participants to form their own questions.

Prioritize keeping the conversation going over getting to all of your questions.

Use the text as a neutral place to return to if the conversation gets heated. Listen and Learn

Focus on listening, not teaching.

Be flexible and let your questions follow the natural course of conversation. Dont feel that you need to ask every

question youve prepared or in the order you planned.

When the conversation is flowing, share your opinion last or not at all.

Avoid answering your own questions. If there is a lull in the conversation, let people think about their answers before

you move on.

Look at the person speaking, and try not to cross your arms or legs. Address group members by their first names.



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Tips for Hosting aCommunity Conversation for Kids

Finding a Faci l i tator Find a facilitator who is a good fit for your group. (The host-site coordinator and the facilitator can be the same

person.) The success of your conversation is highly dependent on the skill of your facilitator.

! Look for someone who is open, friendly, and enjoys working with people. Your facilitator should believe in theprogram and share your enthusiasm for doing it!

! Look for someone who is interested in what others have to say. Keep in mind, the facilitator is not there toteach the text or lecture on the topic, but rather to ask questions and let the group do the talking.

! Look for someone who is willing to learn how to be a facilitator and can commit to doing the training webinar (ifyou are a featured site).

Recruitment

Plan to begin publicizing your discussion at least three weeks in advance. The Council provides templates for pressreleases, fliers, and Community Conversation logos on our website.

For public conversations, make fliers and post them at local libraries, community centers, coffee houses, school

campuses, churches, veterans or union halls, and store bulletin boards. Be sure to get permission to leave or postfliers. Make every effort to draw a diverse audience to your program so that a variety of perspectives are

represented in the discussion.

If your conversation is for a closed group (staff, club, etc.), consider including the discussion at a time when you

already meet, such as at a staff meeting. You may consider including the conversation on the day of a plannedservice project, either to start or conclude the project.

Consider making fliers with the time, date, and location on one side and the text on the other.

Room Set-Up Be sure to choose a room with good acoustics so that everyone, including people who may be hard of hearing, can

hear each other. Choose a room that is free of other distractions. Seat participants in a circle or semi-circle so everyone can make eye contact with each other.

Create a welcome table with copies of the text near the entrance to the room. Provide nametags and ask

participants to use their first names. You may also want to include other literature or pamphlets from yourorganization related to the theme of the discussion.

Make more than enough copies of the text so that everyone has a copy. Invite participants to take an extra copy

after the discussion and share it with a friend or family member. Its a great way to keep the conversation going!

Test any audiovisual equipment ahead of time to make sure that the volume is loud enough for everyone to hear.

Dont play off of built-in computer speakersits difficult to hear in large groups and people may feel uncomfortablesaying so.

Provide light refreshments like juice, coffee or tea, and cookies. You can use the stipend to cover the cost of drinks

and snacks.

Make sure the facilitator has a view of a clock or other time-keeping device. If you are not the facilitator, seat

yourself across from him or her so that you can easily make eye-contact.

Wrap-Up Decide whether you will ask participants to fill out an evaluation form. Have copies on hand to distribute after the

discussion has concluded. The Council has included a short evaluation form in this toolkit that you can use, or youcan design your own. Be sure to share participant feedback, formal and informal, on the host-site coordinatorevaluation form.

Keep accurate attendance data for your own records to report back to the Council. The Council does not require you

to share names or contact information of attendees.

If you are a featured site, complete the online evaluation for host-site coordinators within two weeks of the event.



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Sample Schedule for aCommunity Conversation for Kids

Get students thinking aboutthe topic" 15 minutes

Wrap-Up"

10 minutes

Discuss" 50 minutes

Check comprehension" 5 minutes

Read the text aloud" 10 minutes

Ask students to write down one or two surprisingfacts or quotes from the story as they listen.

Ask students to bookmark their favoriteillustrations.

Did everyone understand the vocabulary?

Are there any phrases that need furtherclarification?

Use the discussion questions in the toolkit and addyour own.

Focus on questions that ask kids to interpret theactions and events in the texts and how they feelabout what is going on.

Planning Guidelines for Community Conversations

New York State Standards for Grades 6-12Common Core English Language Arts: Comprehension and Collaborationand Conventions of Standard English

Activate prior knowledge:

What is friendship?

What makes someone a friend?

Who are your friends and why do you like them?

Do you think we have a friendly community? Do wetreat our classmates and neighbors as friends?

What kinds of things can kids do to make ourcommunity friendlier?



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Part icipant Evaluation

Name: _______________________________________________________________________

Please answer the following questions about todays conversation on friendship.

Did you learn ne w things about f r iendship dur ing todays conversat ion?Nothing new Not a lot Some new things A lot of new things

Did you get the chance to share your ideas on f r iendship and the book?No Not really A little bit Yes

Did other k ids get the chance to share their ideas on f r iendship and the book?No Not really A little bit Yes

How much did you l ike th is conversat ion?Not at all Not very much A little bit A lot

Would you l ike to part ic ipate in another conversat ion l ike th is one?No Maybe Yes

Wil l you share what you talked about today with your f r iends or family?No Maybe Yes

What d id you l ike best about todays conversat ion?

What would have made this conversat ion better?



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Keep the Conversation Goingwith Support from theNew York Counci l for the Humanit ies

Explore more of what the Council has to offer!These grants and programs support conversation-based programming.

Visit us at www nyhumanit ies org for all program information, guidelines, and application forms.Any not-for-profit organization in New York State is eligible to apply for Council grants and programs.

Reading & Discussion Programs forAdultsRead and talk about books and ideas in agroup setting

Series of thematically linked texts over thecourse of four, five, or six sessions.

Muslim Journeys: Explore how the humanitiespromote understanding of and mutual respectfor people with diverse stories, cultures, andperspectives within the U.S. and abroad.

Other themes include: Working, Serving,Growing and Aging, Making Sense of the CivilWar, and Lincoln on the Civil War.

TogetherBook Talk for Kids andParents Family reading and discussion program forparents and kids

A forum for parents and their 9- to 11-year-old

children to come together to talk about booksand ideas.

Six 90-minute sessions are co-facilitated by alibrarian and a humanities scholar from the localcommunity.

Explore key themes in American life such ascourage, freedom, and being American.

Grants Funding for projects using humanities toengage the public

Design your own conversation-basedprogramming about important humanities ideasor texts that encourage informed public discoursein communities.

Apply for a Planning, Project, or Special InitiativesGrant.

Grants range from $1,500 to $3,000.

Speakers in the Humanities andSpeakers in the SchoolsLectures on humanities topics

Over 200 humanities-based lectures on awide variety of topics, including:

! History of Music in Buffalo

! Traditional and Historical Songs of NewYork State

! Masterpiece Comics: Looking atLiterature Through the Cartoon Medium

! The Wild, Wild East: New York's Drama ofWestward Expansion


www.nyhumanities.org/together www.nyhumanities.org/speakers

www.nyhumanities.org/adultrdwww.nyhumanities.org/grants

cck - the kite that bridged two nations

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